George clarke



(No Model.)

G. CLARKE.

STEAM AGTUATED VALVE.

Patented July 24 FIG-.3.

FIG-.2-

enter.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE CLARKE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE CLARKE AUTOMATIC STEAM VALVE COMPANY,

or SAME PLACE.

STEAM-ACTUATEDVALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,836, dated July 24, 1883.

Application filed December 26, 1882. (N model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincin-' nati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Actuated Valves, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct steam-engines in such a manner as to insure the most prompt and effective action of the valves without employing eccentrics, rockshafts, levers, or other external actuating devices. This result is accomplished by fitting in the cylinder and near each end of the same I 5 a transversely-redprocating plug, the inner extremities of which are cha-mfered off, so as to permit said plugs being forced outwardly when the main piston comes in contact with them. The ends of said plugs opposite the 2'0 inclined planes are furnished with slotted heads to receive the connecting-studs of a pair of toggle-j oints, which latter are coupled to the stems of a chambered slide-valve located in a special exhaust-chest, by which arrangement the reciprocating motion of the plugs initiates the movement that causes said slide-valve to travel back and forth on an ordinary posted seat, and thereby discharges the steam from the cylinder; but the complete travel of this valve is accomplished by lit e steam entering a series of ports and channels and acting against a stationary piston or head that occupies the chamber of said slide-valve. Furthermore, each plug-head has a projecting lug engaging with the stems of the inletvalves, in order that the reciprocating action of said plugs may open and close said inlet-valves. These valves are connected to pistons playing in small cylinders fitted in the opposite ends of the steam-chest, the area of said pistons being such as to practically balance said inlet valves and enable them to be worked with the least possible expenditure of power.

My invention includes other improvements in the details of construction, as hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the upper part of a steam-cylinder provided with my automatic- 5o valve appliances, the piston of said cylinder being supposed to be moving in the direction indicated by the arrow. 2 is a-horizontal section through one end of the steam-chest. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the upper 5 part of the cylinder in the plane of the bore J, the plug U u of said bore being omitted.

A represents the upper part of asteam-cylinder of any desired diameter and stroke, and a is a portion of the piston of the same. Secured to this cylinder or cast therewith is a steam-chest, 13, having a supply-pipe, b, which latter may be furnished with a throttle-valve operated either by hand or by any approved form of governor, according to the special duty required of the engine. Communicating between this chest and the opposite ends of the cylinder A are two inlet-ports, C 0, controlled by long fiat valves -D D, of which valves the one D is attached to a stem, E, of piston F, which latter plays within a cylinder, f, fitted near the end of said chest 13. The area of this piston should bear such a proportion to the valve D as to allow the latter to close promptly, but without producing a violent concussion or jar. Furthermore, this piston is provided with a supplementary stem, G, having an external handle or knob, g, wherewith the valve D can be operated by the engineer when itis desired to reverse the stroke of the main piston a. Stem E is slotted at e to admit a lifter, 71, projecting laterally from the head H of a plug, I, that plays within a cylindrical bore, J, the inner end of said plug being chamfered oil at The head of this plug is slotted horizontally at h, which slot is traversed by a stud, 70, that unites the two levers K K of a togglejoint, the leverK being pivoted at k to the inner side of steam-chest B, as seen in Fig. 2. The other lever, K, of this toggle-j oint is coupled to the stem L of a slide-valve, M, having on its under side a customary recess, m, adapted to communicate alternately between the passages N N and exhaust-port a. Furthermore, this slide-valve is chambered or bored out at M to admit a fixed cylindrical piston, P, which is maintained in its proper position by rods 1) 1), attached to the ends of an exhaust-chest, Q, inelosed within the steam-chest B, but having no communication whatever with the latter.

R R are ports in the lower side of valve M, and r 4- are other ports in the upper side thereof. q is the outlet of exhaust-chest Q, which ventage communicates with the escape-pipe of the engine. Valve M has a secondary stem, L, coupled to the lever S of a togglejoi11t, S S, which is arranged in precisely the same manner as the toggle-joint at the opposite end of the steam-chest. Said toggle-joint S S is operated by its stud s traversing the horizontal slot 1/ of the head T of a plug, U, that plays within the cylindrical bore J, the inner end of said plug being ehamfered off at u.

Projecting laterally from the head T is a lifter, t, that engages with the slot 12 of stem V, attached to a piston, NV, which latter plays within a cylinder, 10, fitted near the end of steanrchest B. This slotted stem V e connects the inlet-valve D to said piston IV. The end of channel N, that communicates with the steam-cylinder, is branched, as at X X in Fig. 3, so as to avoid the bore J. The other channel, N, is branched in the same manner, as indicated by the dotted lines Y Y in Fig. 2, so as to prevent said passage communicating with the bore J.

Z Z are the customary cylinder-heads.

N is a raised seat, upon which travels the chambered and ported slide-valve M M, m, R B, r 1" To illustrate the operation of my valve appliances I will suppose the piston a is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, and has almost completed its stroke, said piston being advanced by live steam, which enters the cylinder A through the port 0, because the valve D is now lifted from off said port. Furthermore, as the piston advances, the steam contained between it and the head Z is driven out through the branches Y Y, channel N, and port a into the escape-pipe of the engine. It will also be noticed that the ports R R of the chambered slide-valve M M are closed, on account of said ports being over the solid portion of the seat N, while the recess m of said valve allows communication between the channel N and eX- haust-port n. It is further apparent that the valve D is maintained on its seat by the live steam in chest B, which prevents the backpressure lifting saidvalve. All of the operative parts being in the positions above described, it is evident that the instant the piston a comes in contact with thechamfered end of plug I the latter will be raised as far as its lifter h can travel within the slot 0 of stem E. This upward movement of plug I causes the toggle K K to assume an almost horizontal position, thereby forcing valve M M back far enough to bring its ports R R in communication, respectively, with the channels N and N. Furthermore, this retrograde movement of valve M M shifts the other toggle, S S, from a horizontal position to a sufficiently inclined position to allow the valve D to close the port 0, the lifter, t, however, remaining at the upper end of slot '0; but by the time piston a has passed completely beyond the plug I i, and has almost come in contact with cylinder-head Z, said plug will have been raised so far as to lift the valve D from off of its seat, and allow live steam from the chest 13 to flow through the port 0 and enter the cylinder A. Instantaneously with the preliminary retraction of valve M M the live steam flows up the branches X X into channel. N and through the port R, which now communicates with the upper end of said channel. Consequently the chamber m is charged with steam at boiler-pressure,

and as the piston P is a fixture the valve M M is at once driven back until its recess m brings the channel N in communication with the exhaust-port n and allows the steam from cylinder A to escape through said port. It will thus be seen that the retraction of the slide-valve is initiated by the elevation of plug I a, but is completed by the action of live steam within the chamber M of said valve. Therefore the action of my engine is automatic, positive, and uniform, no matter how rapidly it may be driven. WVhile the slide-valve M M is being retracted the toggle S S assumes such an angular position as to allow the plug U to drop, and thereby bring its chamfered end a fairly within the cylinder A. Furthermore, this dropping of said plug draws its lifter t down to the bottom of slot 1;, thereby disposing all of the operative parts at this end of the steam-chest in the same position as the corresponding devices are shown at the opposite end of said chest. pression of plug U u it is operated by the piston a in precisely the same manner as the other plug, I z, was previously acted on. At each stroke of the engine the steam that has collected in chamber M and on opposite sides of the fixed piston l? is allowed to escape alternately through the ports 1 0* into the exhaust chest Q, and thence out at the ventage g.

In the drawings the stems L L of the chambered slide-valve M M, are shown as passing through necks projecting from opposite ends of the exhaust-chest Q; but these necks may be provided with stuffing-boxes, if desired. Again, suitable devices may be used instead of plugs I U, for communicating motion from the main position to the inlet-valves and the sliding discharge-valve.

The invention may be further modified by substituting puppet, flap, or sliding valves for the lifting-inlet devices D D.

Finally, the toggle-movement herein described may be used in connection with any approved form of slide-valve.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination, in a directaeting steamengine, of a pair of inlet-valves, a chambered and ported sliding outlet-valve located in a special exhaust-chest, and devices for initiating the movement of this outlet-valve from the main piston of the engine, the stroke of As a result of this dea said valve being Completed by live steam operating against a stationary piston occupying the chamber of the discharge-valve, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, in a direct-actin g steamengine, of chamfered plugs I i U a, slotted heads H h T t, toggle-joints K K k k S S s,

V and stems L L, wherewith the main piston a is caused to impart motion to the slide-valve attached to said ste1ns,'as herein described.

3. The plugs I U, provided, respectively, with lifters h t, that engage with the stems E V of a pair of balanced inlet-valves, D D, whereby said valves are operated by the contactof piston a with the chamfered ends z' u of said plugs, as herein described.

4. The combination of plugs I U, slotted heads H h T t, toggle-joints K K k 70 S S s, stems L L, and lifters h t, whereby the contact of piston a with the chamfered ends 2' u of said plugs causes the latter to perform the twofold purpose of operating a pair of inletvalves and shifting a sliding outlet-valve, as herein described.

5. The sliding outlet-valve M, chambered at M, recessed at m, slotted at R R r r, and provided with a piston, 1 whose rods 1) p are secured to the exhaust-chest Q, within which said valve is located, the latter being operated by the main piston a in the manner described, and traveling on the ported seat N N N n, as set forth.

6. r The steam-chest B, having at its opposite ends cylinders f w, traversed, respectively, by pistons E W, that balance the inlet-valves D D, in the manner described, the center of said chest inclosing an exhaust-chest, Q q, within which is located the chambered and ported slide-valveM M m R R r r, fixed piston P p p, and valve-seat N N N n, as specified.

7. I11 combination with the plungerF, traversing the cylinder f, and balancing a lifting inlet-valve, D, in the manner described, the extension-ste1n G, provided with an external lifter, g, for the purpose specified.

8. In combination with a direct-actin g steamengine having a pair of plugs, I U, traversing the bores J J, in the manner described, the channels N N, branched, respectively, at Y Y and X'X, to avoid said bores, as stated.

9. A steam-engine consisting of cylinder A, piston a, chest B, ports 0 G, inlet-valves D D, slotted stems E e V o, bores J J, chamfered plugs I i U u, slotted heads H h T 1/, lifters h t, toggles K K k k S S s, exhaust-chest Q, chambered slide-valve M M m R R or, fixed piston P p p, valve-seat N, channels N N n, and branches X X Y Y, as herein described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE CLARKE.

Witnesses JAMES H. LAYMAN, SAML. S. CARPENTER. 

